This course is a fun exploration of the social and cultural issues represented in contemporary Arab literature by expatriate and Arab authors. We will read several short stories from the Beirut39 anthology (Bloomsbury USA, 2010), as well as the novels “Finding Nouf” by Zoe Ferraris (Mariner 2009), and “The Collaborator of Bethlehem” by Matt Rees (Mariner Books, 2008). The reading and guided discussion will focus on reader-response and cultural studies theories.